Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Bestselling Author
The heated plagiarism scandal didn't decrease the book's sales; instead, it sparked even more interest. Given the information explosion in later generations, William White wasn't bothered by such petty issues. What was there to fear from controversy? It was being ignored that was truly frightening.
Many people were curious about what kind of book could drive the Hollywood giants to use such underhanded tactics. Well, whatever the case, the blame was placed squarely on the major studios, and denying it was useless, as few would believe their explanations.
Behind every film company, there are big shots, and although William White was troublesome, the ones causing trouble were even worse. If they couldn't resolve things, they wouldn't mind escalating the situation.
Whether you acknowledge it or not, William White had become a bestselling author. Never underestimate this identity. If he attended a banquet with the Hunter family, his status would definitely be ahead of the head of the Hunter family. Unless you were from Wall Street -- then whoever had the most money would be first.
Professors and writers held a high status in the U.S., not something nouveau riche could compare to.
William White was frustrated because this wasn't just a simple matter of interest disputes anymore -- they aimed to ruin him completely.
It wasn't hard to boost one's image; attending charity balls and caring for kittens and puppies, or supporting women's organizations, would elevate you to a high and noble status.
Would it cost a lot of money?
Not really. A charity auction could mean spending tens of thousands, which was already considered generous. Don't donate too much though; it could annoy others.
Most importantly, all this was tax-deductible. At bigger charity auctions, even if he couldn't attend, he'd have someone go, regardless if the auctioned items were useful -- it's the thought that counts.
On the surface, Europeans and Americans seemed socially responsible, but it was really just appearances. Overall, they placed great importance on public virtues and neglected personal virtues.
Children from ordinary families had to start fending for themselves after 18. While wealthy families had similar methods, they were much more lenient, like gaining experience in family businesses, which was more of an educational approach.
For ordinary families, it was different. They might work at McDonald's or cafes, jobs that were easily found in the U.S., and it wasn't too hard to support themselves.
Going to college?
Unless you had a full scholarship, it was best to forget about it -- the expensive tuition could drive you crazy.
...
A bestselling author was quite respected, and his frequent public appearances lately gained him significant recognition.
"Man, I'm dog-tired," said William White, unable to hide his weariness as he returned to his villa.
"Young master, shall I call for the masseuse?" Fulton, distressed at his master's exhaustion, suggested. The young master had been pushing himself hard recently, attending school in the morning, shooting films in the afternoon, and attending various parties thereafter.
"No need, Fulton. I'm just tired in spirit. Those fake faces are really annoying, and I might become expressionless if this keeps up."
"Haha, young master, you did quite well. This period should be about over now. Probably won't be any more nonsense," Fulton replied.
"Mm, we'll see what happens next. The important ones still need attending," William said.
William was on a spree to boost reputation, which wouldn't show results short-term, but with persistence, his personal reputation would surely reach a new height.
...
Actually, he underestimated himself. He was already a public figure with a very positive image. Slandering him wouldn't be easy now.
The easiest way was to lean on the Texas consortium. Just give up some benefits, and other consortiums wouldn't dare overstep.
The top ten American consortiums weren't joking. You couldn't judge their power by their wealth alone; their real strength lay in political capital.
Gains must come with contributions. Wealth wasn't the biggest issue -- given his family's standing, he would just be a small player in a consortium, facing lots of constraints and exploitation.
Of course, consortiums shined only superficially in this way. This collective approach would eventually fade as people clearly disliked those guys and if they didn't hold back, they'd end badly.
William White's case had drawn the attention of many powerful groups. His rapid rise was remarkable, and if he grew at this pace, his wealth was likely to hit the billion level.
Though no match for any consortium, a billion-dollar asset was rare even among wealthy families.
Of course, those hidden families weren't to be counted; no one knew the depth of those guys. Families that stood strong for a century weren't ordinary.
Hollywood and the IT industry had quickly caught the eye of these people, who previously hadn't taken these two industries seriously. Maybe semiconductors were okay since they'd invested a bit.
Hollywood was just too bizarre. When was the last time it made a good profit?
That would be the time of Star Wars and Superman, and it seemed they hadn't made as much as this punk.
Those were big productions needing profit sharing across many people, leaving little for the owner's pocket.
What did they see now?
A single movie made a hundred million bucks, for crying out loud. What's left for anyone else?
A hundred million-dollar profit would make anyone drool. Suppression wasn't realistic anymore; Hollywood's major players were nearly disgraced, getting jeers from media now and then.
Invest?
What's left to invest when they're making movies on a few million bucks? Even if they went public, the available shares would be very limited.
Hmm, how about that oil company of his? Let's see if there's a chance to squeeze in.
They completely ignored the farm, which had no value whatsoever. So many farms were shutting down, and banks' auctions were getting no bids at all.
*****
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